One Direction singer Louis Tomlinson has been charged with simple battery following an incident with paparazzi at LAX airport in Los Angeles.
British tabloid The Sun reports that while bail was set at $20,000 for the 25-year-old he was released on his own recognisance with a court appearance scheduled for March 29.
Tomlinson was at the arrivals gate of the airport with girlfriend Eleanor Calder when the incident occurred. A source said Tomlinson was placed under citizen's arrest until officers arrived. He was then taken to a Los Angeles police station and charged.
It has also been claimed that Calder was involved in an argument with people who were filming the incident.
In a statement to celebrity website TMZ, Tomlinson's lawyer Martin Singer said that "the paparazzi provoked and caused the altercation".
"This is not the first or last time that a paparazzi has created an altercation with a celebrity," said Singer.
"While the altercation was going on with the paparazzi, three other individuals were attacking his girlfriend during this incident and he came to her defence."
Tomlinson is currently working on solo material while One Direction are on hiatus.
